About Alloy

The Alloy Brewing Company Story

This story, like many others, begins with a desire to make a difference. The decision was simple – make a change for the better that would not only impact us, but also our local community. The following chronicles the path taken to move from a ‘Hop Dream’ to something more tangible - Alloy Brewing Company.

Alloy Brewing Company

Our team began on separate journeys…

Christina and Jason Horton’s journey started with a turkey fryer, a garage, and a dream; brewing beer in the family garage, fine tuning the craft and taking over most of the basement storage area in the house with assorted hoses, bottles, and carboys. It wasn’t a feeling of ‘having’ to brew… but more of the idea of ‘getting’ to brew. The Horton’s envisioned starting a brewing company, as it became the highlight of the week.

Nick and Katie Lehmann’s journey began with a German influence. The Lehmanns lived in Europe for a few years, and their ideas for beer, beer styles and processes were shaped by this adventure. They feel strongly that craft beer styles should be accessible to everyone, from the hard core beer snob to the occasional light beer drinker. The Hortons met the Lehmanns through a common employer, and shared their love of beer and brewing – it already seemed as if this group was destined to do more together.

Rob Falink’s journey coincided with the Lehmanns when they returned from living abroad- the three were long-time friends who also had dreams of one day owning a brewery. Rob witnessed the craft beer boom in Minnesota as it started to take off and suggested home brewing as a way to learn more about all of the different styles that are available today. Rob is a true beer connoisseur – having tracked and tried hundreds of brews, both local and from the worldwide craft beer scene. You name it, he’s tried it.

Steve and Pattie Tschida were the last to join the group – What started as a weekend hobby with the Lehmanns quickly turned into a weekly brewing night with the group. Steve, an engineer by trade, transitioned easily into all-grain brewing. His first recipe created won an award at his very first competition! The Tschidas have also taken on growing hops on their property for Alloy, which will be used in future brews.

22oz ticket to something more

The stars aligned and the group convened at Rob’s house to brew together for the first time. For all, the smell and set up at brew day seemed familiar and comfortable. By the end of the night, the group was finishing each other’s sentences and working alongside each other, almost as if they had been brewing together for years. Conversations around beer, life, and other garage talk ensued. The group shared their hope and dreams of opening up a brewery with one another. After a few hours (and a few more beers) it was settled; a brewery was in our future!

Diverse skill sets form pieces of the puzzle

The Alloy Team has diverse experiences and backgrounds to ensure success. The Hortons have experience running a business and have a nose for English style beers and IPAs. The Lehmanns work in business and finance, love construction projects and are passionate about German lagers and ales. Rob knows the brewing process inside out and has a taste for big, bold, barrel-aged beers. The Tschidas have worked on many home construction projects, so when it came to building a brewery, they were more than excited to take on their biggest project yet. Steve has become a true stout and porter enthusiast.

Why Alloy?

The idea behind the name is simple. By definition, an alloy is a mixture of metals and elements. Alloys are created to make something better or stronger. The brewing process is similar, as the specific blends of malted barley, hops, water and yeast create something unique and more delicious than the ingredients could ever hope to be on their own. Alloy Brewing Company strives to achieve the dream of “Making the unrefined, exceptional”.

How good is good?

The Alloy Team has brewed close to 100 batches of beer together and we constantly tweak old favorites and try out new recipes. For inspiration, we regularly taste new beers from both local and national craft beer makers, and seek out new and different sources for flavor palates. We actively seek input from friends, family and co-workers and enter brewing competitions around the great state of Minnesota.

Alloy’s first award came at the 2015 Minnesota State Fair. Since that time, awards have continued to pour in. With 16 awards under their belt in categories ranging from stouts, European lagers and even fruit beer, the team has a great basis to review scores and feedback to understand both the consumer and judge’s view of what worked and what didn’t. This helps us to improve the quality of our beer and determine which recipes would be well received when served in the future taproom.

Future home of Alloy Brewing Company

Home Sweet Home

With brewery plans underway and awards starting to line the walls, the team started looking at possible locations. It quickly became obvious that the north metro is an under served market – the Alloy team members live in the area and we want to create a taproom that our neighboring community can experience and enjoy. In particular, the city of Coon Rapids distinguished itself as welcoming, gracious and open to exploring a new type of business venture. They have worked closely with us to remove barriers and form the codes and laws that would allow Alloy to operate within city limits. We’re very excited to join the local business community there.

What lies ahead…

This part of the story has not been written yet –with your help, we can tell that the future is bright, and we are looking forward to many years of serving our local community and growing the Alloy brand. – Prost!

A special thank you to all that supported us through our Kickstarter campaign